antimusic.com: Root 66: Nate Lee - Wings of a Jetliner Review

Nate Lee - Wings of a Jetliner

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Lee is an International Bluegrass Music Association award-winning mandolin player and singer and he gets right to it with the mandolin on opening cut "Wonderbat," a speedy instrumental cut that's guaranteed to get the barn dance started. Lee does sing on about half of the effort's 12 cuts though, including on "Tobacco," the story of the hardships of being a tobacco farmer that ends in murder and where Becky Buller on fiddle and Ned Luberecki on banjo mix with the mandolin for a classic old time bluegrass sounds. Instrumental "Quick Select" is a sharp contrast to the dire sounds of "Tobacco;" the cut is as bright as a sunny Saturday and as carefree too. Lee's expertise on mandolin is on display throughout, and cuts like the appropriately-titled instrumental "Serenity" really are gems, not just for Lee but also for the other players. "Miner's Grave" is as forlorn as you'd expect but "The More I Pour" is a joyful western swing number about that magic curative, alcohol. Tons of great picking here, with and without Lee's evocative vocals.

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